Follower for file drawers



Feb. 22, 1944.

H. W. BRADNER V FOLLOWER FOR FILE DRAWERS Filed Dec. 21, 1942 INVENTOR.

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W Bz'adner ms 4 rroeusx Patented Feb. 22, 1944 FOLLOWER FOR FILE DRAWERS Harry W. Bradner, Chicago, 111., assignor to Boynton & Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 21, 1942, Serial No. 469,644

4 Claims.

This invention relates to afollower for filing drawers and has as its principal object the provision of a follower which will be simple in construction, economical in manufacture and highly eflicient in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a follower block which will coact with a slidable wedge to bind the follower in a desired position in a filing drawer.

A further object of my invention is to provide a follower block with a camming surface for joint action with a wedge member to urge the follower into binding relation with guiding means provided in the drawer.

Still another objectof this invention is to provide a wedging means for filing drawer followers which coacts with the latter and the bottom wall of the drawer to urge the follower into binding engagement with guiding means provided in the side walls of the drawer.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a follower block guided formovement between the side walls of the drawer with a portion of the follower block cut away to permit access to a wedging member disposed between the block and the bottom of the drawer.

Other objects will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing my preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a filing drawer having my new follower structure associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional detail View through the follower as seen along line 2--2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a drawer section showing my follower block in its relative position with respect thereto;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to that of Fig. 2 but at a reduced scale with respect thereto and illustrating the disposition of the follower when adjustments are to be made;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 4 showing the follower being wedged into a fixed position such as is seen in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a View similar to that of Fig. 5 showing the follower being released from wedged condition for readjustment.

Referring to the drawing there is shown in Fig.

1 a typical card file drawer I0 having two parallel sides II and I2 joined at their ends by front and back walls indicated at l3 and [4 respectively. The side walls H and [2 have formed therein on their inner faces an elongated groove or channel l5 which is spaced from the bottom wall l6 of the drawer and running parallel with respectthereto. These channels form a guiding means for a follower generally indicated at H and forming the subject of my invention.

The follower ll is preferably formed by providing a vertical pressure. plate .13 which is adapted to bear against the rearmost sheet of a plurality of sheets l9 arranged in the drawer In to bind these sheets I9 securely in the drawer with a uniformity of pressure on each separate sheet.

Attached to the plate l8 on the side thereof opposite the sheets 19 is a rider or base member 20 which has its central portion cut away to form an areaway ii on the follower. It is perfectly obvious that the base member 213 may be of such proportion as to entirely eliminate the pressure plate l8 since the forward face of the base member 2%] may be considered a pressure or bearing surface similar to the plate It. In the present instance, however, the particular form of the base member 20 is two symmetrical blocks 22 and 23 adhered to the back face of the plate 18 adjacent the extreme side edges thereof. The base member at each end is provided with a projecting lug 24 which extends beyond the edges of the plate l8 and into the guiding means formed by the channels it. Thus the follower I1 is readily insertable or removable with respect to the drawer Ii] by turning the follower at an angle with respect to the side walls II and i2. For example to place the follower in operative position in the drawer iii the follower is placed with its base member 20 on the bottom wall l6 of the drawer and at an oblique angle with respect to the side Walls II and i2. The

follower is then swung until it is disposed transversely of the drawer l0 so that the projecting lugs 24 will each be disposed in their respective guiding means I5. The follower ll willthen be positioned as shown in Fig. 4 and be free to move longitudinally in the drawer Iil'to any desired position of adjustment.

Means are provided for wedging the follower in a desired position of adjustment to hold the sheets IS in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore explained. This means comprises an elongated member 25 which is wedge-shaped in cross section and is of such length as to span the space between the symmetrical blocks 22-23 forming the base member 20. The wedge-shaped member 25 is so proportioned as to permit its apical edge 23 to be disposed beneath the base member 20 with the broad edge 2? of the wedgeshaped member near at hand so that the person manipulating the follower member may press the member. 25 toward the base member 20 to wedge the projecting lugs 24 into frictional engagement with the upper face of the respective channel iii. The follower will then be positioned as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 with the fiat top face 28 of the lugs 24 lying flush against the top wall of the channels l5. Thus it is assured that the pressure plate l8 will be parallel with the front Wall [3 of the drawer to support the sheets E9 in truly vertical position as shown in 2.

The bottom wall 29 of the base member 20 is preferably pitched at an angle equivalent. to the angle between the two sides of the wedgeshaped member 25. It is obvious, however, that such pitch is not absolutely essential to the carrying out my invention, it being desirable only that the member 25 have some freedom of slidable movement along the bottom of the drawer to facilitate easy manipulation of the wedge bar.

For the purpose of further facilitating the operation of the wedging means, the member 25 is cut away in its mid region as at 30 to pro- Vide a finger engaging edge 3! on the member 25 in the areaway 2i so that a person may, with the back of his finger tips (dotted lines Fig. 6), urge the member 25 in a direction away from the base member and thereby release the follower I? for movement in the drawer iii. This operation is best illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein it is shown how the palm of the hand resting on the top edge of the pressure plate l8 may be pressed against such top edge to swing the follower ll counterclockwise to release a portion of the pressure existing by virtue of the, wedge member being pressed between the bottom wall [6 of the drawer and the bottom 2% of the base member and thus, by relieving the pressure, rendering it possible to slide the member 25 away from the base member 29 by a slight flick of the fingers.

Having thus described my novel construction for a follower block it is apparent that I provide a simple follower member easily assembled in a filing drawer and providing a simple and inexpensive means for wedging the follower in a desired position in the drawer. The device is constructed to render it most conveniently adapted to be manufactured of wood or other such fibrous material which may be easily formed to accomplish the purposes intended.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variation and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

, Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent. is:

1. In a follower for a filing drawer having parallel guiding means on the side walls thereof, said follower comprising a base member having a vertical face adapted to bear against sheet material disposed in the drawer, means on said base member engaging the guiding means, and a slidable member movable on the bottom wall of the drawer and adapted to engage the bottom face of said base member to wedge said means on said base member into frictional engagement with the guiding means to retain the follower in a desired position with the drawer, said base member being cut away in its mid portion to expose the slidable member for manipulation.

2. In a follower for" a filing drawer having parallel side walls with guiding channels formed therein, said follower comprising a rider adapted to move longitudinally within the drawer and providing a vertical front face disposed to bear against pieces arranged within the drawer, said rider having means projecting therefrom into guided relationship with respect to the guiding channels, and an elongated member having a wedge-shaped cross section slidable on the bottom wall of the drawer and having its apical edge disposed to wedge under said rider to urge said means projecting from said rider into frictional engagement with a wall of the guiding channels to bind said follower in a desired position within the drawer, said rider'comprising a vertical pressure plate having two symmetrical blocks adhered to the rear face thereof adjacent the side edges thereof to permit access to the mid portion of said elongated member whereby to facilitate manipulation of the same.

3. In a follower for a filing drawer in which the drawer is provided with guiding means along its longitudinal side walls, said follower comprising a base member movable over the bottom wall of the drawer and having laterally extending trunnions disposed to ride in the guiding means, a slidable member arranged for sliding movement on the lower wall of the drawer and adapted to coact with the lower face of said base member to wedge said trunnions in the guiding means for holding said follower in a position of adjustment in the drawer, said base member having a medial portion thereof removed to expose said slidable member for manipulation.

4. In a follower for a filing drawer in which the side walls are provided with guiding means in parallel relation to the bottom wall of the drawer, said follower comprising a base member movable over the bottom of the drawer and having laterally extending lugs disposed for guided movement in the guiding means, said base member comprising two symmetrical blocks joined by a common vertical pressure plate and having a pitched bottom face, and wedging means slidably arranged on the bottom of the drawer and adapted to coact with said pitched bottom face on said base member to wedge said lugs in the guiding means and maintain said follower in a desired position of adjustment in the drawer, said wedging means being accessible for manipulation between said symmetrical blocks.

HARRY W. BRADNER. 

